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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23285053">Thank you, Mr. Rose</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I wanna hold your hand [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Schitt's Creek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Humor, Canon Compliant, Coda, Episode: s05e08 The Hospies, Gen, Holding Hands, Missing Scene, Post-Break Up, kind of</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:21:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23285053</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Stevie has feelings after Emir dumps her at the Hospies, and Mr. Rose comforts her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Stevie Budd &amp; Johnny Rose, Stevie Budd/David Rose (mentioned), Stevie Budd/Emir Kaplan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I wanna hold your hand [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1447450</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Thank you, Mr. Rose</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/unkindravens/gifts">unkindravens</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It was a stupid idea anyways. I don't know what I was thinking,” Stevie’s eyes are stinging with unshed tears now, and if she looks up at him, sees Mr. Rose being <em>nice, </em>it’s going to be too much.So she looks…anywhere else, her head a little shaky as she struggles to find something, <em>anything </em>to focus on, anything that will let her get her feet back underneath her.</p><p>This is the problem with caring, with putting yourself out there. It never ends well.</p><p>Sometimes they’re assholes apparently just trolling for road pussy.</p><p>Sometimes they’re your best friend.</p><p>Every time, they make it clear that you’re not enough.</p><p><em>Never</em>.</p><p>“Okay, well, you know what,” Mr. Rose is just looking at her now, with his bushy eyebrows and wide-eyed look that’s equal parts horrified and concerned, and that’s just too much. He’s being nice to her and it’s <em>too much </em>because he’s as uncomfortable with emotions as she is, and now he’s stuck here with her on the verge of collapse when he should be celebrating his award. <em>“</em>If it's okay with you, why don't we beat the traffic, and just... just head home, 'cause I gotta be honest, I'm... I'm feeling awfully tired, actually.”</p><p><em>S</em>he’s a fucking caricature, some podunk little girl trapped behind the desk at cheap motel in the middle of nowhere that she would’ve run into the ground already without his help, and now he’s just standing there, being nice and concerned and maybe this is what it feels like to have a parent in your corner, Stevie’s not sure. She wouldn’t know, because she’s never had that. But sometimes, Mr. Rose can almost make her forget that.</p><p>He’s worked so hard for this, and Stevie knows that after all he’s been through in the last few years, he really needed a win. “Mr. Rose, I know how important this is to you.” Stevie wants to be strong for him, because Mr. Rose deserves to celebrate, and it’s not his fault Stevie makes stupid life choices. She bites back a sob; well, she tries to bite back the sob. The tears have finally spilled out, and are streaming down her face now.</p><p>“Oh Stevie, we got what we came for,” he says, his face suddenly warm and animated, not the horrified mask of just a few moments earlier. “Well, we didn't actually get it, they took it back. I mean, what kind of cheap-ass award show takes back an award?”</p><p>“Mr. Rose, I don't think I can go back out there.” Stevie’s letting him down, she <em>knows </em>she’s letting him down, but it’s too much and Emir is still out there and maybe she should just leave out the back door and start fresh somewhere not named after a tree or a creek. Only she can’t, because she left her coat and her bag at the table.</p><p>“Well, tell you what, you stay here, I'll grab your bag, and maybe...a few shrimp for the road?” Mr. Rose offers, kindly.</p><p>“Yeah, thanks.”</p><p>When he returns, Mr. Rose has her bag slung over one shoulder and is holding her coat with both hands, somewhat awkwardly in front of him. “Alright there, Stevie,” he says, in that weird tone he usually reserves for Bob and some of the more flirtatious Jazzagals.</p><p>“Thanks, Mr. Rose,” Stevie reaches for her coat, but he swats an elbow at her to stave her off. She looks at him, brows furrowed, a gives her head a little shake. “Everything okay?”</p><p>“Shhh, Stevie,” Mr. Rose leans in and whispers to her, before straightening up and resuming that awkward performance tone. “Now, be a dear and take my hand, I feel a little unsteady from the champagne.” It's a good thing he never tried to be an actor. </p><p>“O-okay, Mr. Rose.” Steve reaches beneath her coat to take his hand, only to find herself touching what feels like a martini glass. “Did you take a whole shrimp cocktail?” she hisses at him.</p><p>“Faster, Stevie,” she stumbles as she struggles to keep up with his pace as they head for the door.</p><p>“Have a lovely evening!” They barely notice the hotel employee that bids them goodbye, their fast walk turning into more of a jog by the time they’re at the door.</p><p>When they get to her car, her coat falls from his arms as Mr. Rose raises his hands triumphantly. “No, I took two, one for each of us!”</p><p>Tears drying on her cheeks, adrenaline pumping through her veins, Stevie just shakes her head in wonder at the man on the other side of the car.</p><p>“Thank you, Mr. Rose.”</p>
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